Juliana Bellitto: An Introduction

My name is Juliana Bellitto and I am about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

I am 20 years old.

I am the oldest child of Anthony and Sharon Bellitto.

I am the older sister of Eric Bellitto (15).

I am the lucky woman to be engaged to Colin Laury, our wedding set for June 29th 2013. 

I am a Temple student, enrolled under Tyler School of Art, set to graduate with my BFA in Photography in 2013. 

And at 6:15 pm tomorrow evening, I will board flight 718 and fly to Rome, Italy, where I will study, mingle, and live for the next 3.5 months.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to study abroad, and my head is swimming with possibilities. I am excited to step out of my comfort zone, and experience a world I have only read about. It is crazy to think that this time tomorrow night I will walk the streets of a city whose beauty is renowned on all corners of the earth, and whose history spans over a staggering two and a half thousand years.

And yet, I cannot help but think of my family, my fiancee, my friends, whom I will miss dearly. I have never been separated from my loved ones for so long before, and I know this will be a test of my emotional strength. However, I know that 3.5 months will feel like such a short amount of time in retrospect, and I will have the rest of my life to enjoy with them. 

I know I will meet new people, make new friends, and enjoy new experiences in ways I never would have imagined, and without this opportunity I may not have had the chance. Temple University has made the entire process up to this point extremely easy and painless, but tomorrow what I make of it lies in my hands. I doubt I will get much sleep tonight, but that nervous energy will be a part of what brings the students together, and I cannot wait to meet everyone in just a few hours. The airport will be a whirlwind, and before I know it I will be moving into my new home, ready to drink in the trip of a lifetime.